1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a program and method for managing, e.g., a device driver of an information processing apparatus connected to a network, an information processing apparatus, and a network print system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Along with enhancements of networks such as the Internet, home networks, and the like, network compatibility of user interactive devices such as a PDA, portable phone, and the like, and image processing devices such as a scanner, printer, copying machine, digital camera, and the like, has advanced. Also, network compatibility of various devices with regard to electronic home appliances such as a television, air conditioner, refrigerator, and the like has advanced. In order to improve convenience, and to allow easy management using such network compatible devices, various protocols and architectures that provide functions of managing network devices have been proposed (patent references 1 and 2). The functions to be provided include a search function of network devices which provide services, an automatic setup function of application software, utility software, an operating system, and the like required to control network devices, and the like.
An attempt to automate network device management has also been made. For example, development of UPnP® and WSD: Web Services for Devices (WS-Discovery/WS-MetadataExchange) has been made by Microsoft Corporation as an actor. Such techniques implement so-called plug-and-play that allows use of a device by connecting that device to the network. Also, BMLinks® promoted by Japan Business Machine and Information System Industries Association (JBMIA), Rendezvous supported by OS X developed by Apple Computer, Inc., and the like are available. With techniques such as UPnP® and the like, when a computer detects a network device, its device driver is installed in the computer (if necessary).
Furthermore, a technique in which a client computer connected to the network searches for an installed printer on the network upon its startup, and uninstalls its printer driver if that printer is not detected, has been disclosed (patent reference 3). Moreover, a technique in which a print server that manages network printers always monitors the connection status of the printers, and informs a client of deletion of a printer if it detects the printer deleted from the networks has also been disclosed (patent reference 4).
[Patent Reference 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-038956
[Patent Reference 2] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-362594
[Patent Reference 3] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-366502
[Patent Reference 4] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-280218
However, the convenience of network devices improves due to prevalence of plug-and-play in the network devices, while negative effects resulting from automatic installation of drivers of devices connected to the network are also produced. One negative effect is an unlimited increase in the number of drivers installed in a client computer. This phenomenon is most noticeable in client PCs (personal computers) and the like, which are installed in a large-scale office having a large number of network printers and have long periods of service. In such a network, network devices such as printers and the like are often updated or added. In the client computer, drivers of removed devices remain stored, and drivers corresponding to added devices are additionally installed. For this reason, hardware resources of the client computer such as a hard drive, memory, and the like are wasted. In addition, upon, e.g., printing from an application, such large number of drivers may introduce confusion as to selection of a printer to be used.
To avoid such confusion, it is required to uninstall all printer drivers corresponding to printers removed from the network. However, uninstallation must be manually done, and the network that connects a large number of client computers requires a lot of man-hours to uninstall drivers for respective client computers.
According to the technique described in patent reference 3, an unlimited increase in number of drivers can be prevented since the driver of a printer which is not connected can be uninstalled. However, since all the client computers of the network must poll printers upon their startup, a heavy load is unwantedly imposed on the network. With this method, a printer driver corresponding to a printer which is temporarily down is automatically uninstalled. This results in inconvenience, and installation and uninstallation which are not required under ordinary circumstances are done to cause an operation efficiency drop. In addition, automatic device recognition traffic (PnP) increases.
The technique of patent reference 4 cannot be applied to a network printer environment in which ports are directly connected to printers, since the print server is indispensable in a network environment.